The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-06-02
EELING VEST VA., lTHU RsDAY8Mo)RIsNSTIlNlc
A STRANGE TRAGEDY,


l a.. .
! JERSEY Cirr, N. j., June l.-Gsorse H
Disque, the wife murderer, suffered the
extreme penalty Of the law, in the west.
erly corridor oi the Hudson county jail,
Jersey City, few minutes alter 10 O'Clock
this morning. The condemned man
maintained bis tortisude to the last. Fol.
lowing Is the story Of the crime for which
| About o'clock on Tuesday afternoon,
October 8, 1885, the wife Of Policeman
Michael Desmond, who occupied the lower
| floor Of the house In which Disaue lived,
heard the latter quarreling with bis wife,
Then came tho sound OF q heavy fall, after
which all was still. About half an hour
later Dfsque came down stairs dressed In
his best. He met Mrs. Desmond's little
girl In the hallway. "For Gods sake,
Kitty" said he, "take care OF Carrie and
Annie till l come back" The girl prom.
ised to look ont for the two children, who
were playing In the yard. Dlsque never
came back. .'-E i.''ss l - \ ; :
1t was $3.50 o'clock that afternoon when
Disqus walked into the Hoboken police
station. Roundsman Peter Jacobus was
In charge, and greeted Diaque pleasantly,
"pve had a fight with my wife, Pete"
said Diaque. "She took stool and q
knife to me and l cut her throat. cut
It good, too. guess she's dead. Here's
the key Of my room, you had better see
about It." - 81 ~ ~ + s,7.
Officers Kaiser and Nelson were sent to
Disque's house. They found Officer Des.
mond, who. had been awakened by bis
wills, peering through the key hole OF
Disqus's room. The door was opened and
q frightlul scene was revealed. Lying on
the floor, In q pool Of blood, lay Mrs.
Diaque's body. Her throat had been cut
from ear to ear in three distinct gashes,
The dead woman's ten.months.old baby
had crawled to the side OF the body and
was patting its childish hands in the
mothers blood as 1t cooed In vain for the
smile which till then had always greeted
It's approach.
In the adjoining bedroom was found
Disque's blood.stained suit and under.
garments, the bloody water in which he
had washed bis hands and the keen.
hladed knife with which the deed was
done. Both rooms gave evidence Of the
woman's desperate struggle for lie. Her
hands were cut to the bone where the
knife had been drawn through her fingers,
and bloody finger marks on her hair show.
ed how her head had been drawn back to
slaughter her. I-I1.. - =
The remains were photographed and
the pictures formed an important link in
the chain OF evidence upon which Dieque
WAS convicted. He was sentenced to be
hanged March 26, but upon writ OF error
being secured the execution was post
pcned. Last April the Supreme Court
affirmed the judgment against him and he
was sentenced to be hanged today.
Twelve years ago the father Of Disque
died in the arms Of his friend Heintze,
who has since become Sheriff. This morn
ing the Sheriff WAS compelled to otticiate
at the execution Of his old friends son.
Disque, during the past few days, showed
but little concern over the fate which
awaited him. He ate hearty meals, elept
regularly, and chatted brightly with his
keepers. His last request was that as few
PERSONS IS passihl. 81 OVID he admitted to
the exstonoH. He fefuseo to sec his
mother last week, AA he believed the
shock Of the sad parting would kill her.
His little con visited him daily while he
was in prison, but his wiis's relations re.
fused to allow his daughter to see him,
His body will be cremated.
Disque made full confession to Rev.
Mr.. Henry. In speaking OF his crime he
said: ~ am sorry for it, Of course, but
really remember nothing about it, That
day seems like dream to me-"